I see @Toyota's chief scientist Gill Pratt everywhere with his seemingly 'sober' claim that scarce lithium should be used in small batteries for hybrid cars (that Toyota is market leader in of course).

He's calling out "EV-only extremists".

And it's such utter bollox.
🧵

IF lithium supply was fixed and small,
AND IF electric vehicles batteries could only use lithium,

that claim would have merit.

But does this look like supply is fixed to you?
www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-25-years-of-lithium-production-by-country/.

And did you know we already know where to find lithium for almost ten billion full-EVs and we are constantly finding more resources while the ocean contains thousands of times more than the resources we know on land?

My analysis based on: www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/lithium-statistics-and-information

And did you know that when push comes to shove, there are many other materials that could take over from lithium if need be?

Here's a chapter from something I'm writing on eTrucks that's about material scarcity. Of course we have to become more sustainable but compared to fossil fuels, lithium it's just a drop in the bucket.
www.dropbox.com/s/p8gw9g2d132iel3/material%20availability%20for%20batteries.pdf?dl=0

Hell, even compared to other metals it's just a drop in the bucket.

Do you know what IS a material that we are destroying almost one million times faster than it is formed?

That we use 50 thousand times more than lithium per year?

And that we cannot recycle?

Oil.

So I get a bit testy when people claim lithium is the number one problem that faces transportation.



There are many reason to drive less and smaller cars.
Nicer cities for example.
And less mining is better.

But lithium is really not our biggest worry.

And there is just SO MUCH nonsense that's proclaimed about mineral scarcity for the energy transition. It's really the latest nonsensical go-to argument against emitting less CO2 and using less resources.

So I can only see this @Toyota plea for hybrids instead of EVs as the latest cynical (but admittedly successful) marketing stunt from the company that brought us "self charging" hybrids. Shame on them.
/end
www.independent.ie/life/motoring/car-news/toyota-chief-criticised-for-self-charging-hybrid-claim-by-h...

And it looks like this is the kick off for a worldwide misinformation campaign by @Toyota.

Today saw a "sponsored article" (=advertisement disguised as journalism) in the largest Dutch newspaper @telegraaf parotting the claim in an interview with a kid 😞

If you find similar claims in your local media outlet, could you please attach a link in a reply to this tweet?
We should research what @Toyota is doing here and where!